Eyeglass cleaning compact



i Dec. 25, 1956 T. BENI-:nmz 2,775,344 EYEGLASS CLEANING COMPACT FiledAgg. 7, 1953 /0\ INVENTOR THOR BENEplKZ Army/way EYEGLASS CLEANINGCMPACT Thor lenedikz, New York, N. Y.

` Application August 7, 1953, Serial No. 372,888

' 2 claims. (ci. 20s-ss) This invention relates to an eyeglass orspectacles cleaning compact, and, more particularly, has reference to arelatively small, unitary assembly capable of being readily carried inthe pocket or ina purse, which assembly is so designed as to contain allthe materials needed for cleaning and polishing the lenses of apair ofeyeglasses.

Those persons who wear eyeglasses experience considerable difficulty andinconvenience, in respect to the cleaning and polishing of the same. Inmany instances,`such V persons will carry a small cleaning rag in theeyeglass case, `but this is unsatisfactory, since the piece of fabricwill, on continued use over an indenite period of time, becomeunsanitary, unattractive in appearance, and incapable of discharging itsintended function with a desired amount of efliciency. f Further, it isnot possible'to clean and polish eyeglasses with optimum'eiciency unlessa cleaning liquid is used, and this necessitates carrying a small bottleor like container on the person.

The main object of the present invention, in View of the above, is toprovide, in a unitary assembly, a cleaning compact in which will becontained, in readily accessible locations, a supply of polishingtissues, a quantity of cleaningliquid,` and a dispensing nozzle thatwill direct a jet or spray of liquid against an eyeglass lens, under thefull control of a user.

, Another object is to provide, in a structure` as described, a highlyattractive article that can be used in public without the embarrassmentthatwouldfotherwise occur were one to expose a bottle of liquid, producea soiled polishing rag, etc.

Y Another object of the present invention is to provide pair of flatcontainersthe interiors of which are wholly out; of communication, whichcontainers will be connected thus to permit the article to take up aminimum of space within a pocket orfpurse, the interior of one containerdefining a repository for a plurality of superposed, disposable,polishing tissues and the interior of the other container forming aliquid compartment which can be filled with water, or with a chemicalcleaning compound.

Another object is to provide a means within the tissue container whichwill be particularly well adapted to coniine the tissues within said`container in a neat, orderly, stacked array, while at the Sametimeproviding access to the uppermost tissue for removal of thesame withoutdisturbing the remaining tissues.

Another object is to provide, in at least one form of the invention, anarrangement of' the containers wherein the liquid container will bedivided into a liquid compartment and a dispensing nozzle compartment,with said liquid container normally constituting a` closure for thetissues container and the tissues container -being in turn provided with"ameans that constitutes a closure for the dispensing nozzlecompartment. l"For further comprehension f the invention, and of theobjects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings,

featuresof theinvention are more particularly set forth.

2,775,344 Patented Dec.` 25, 1,956

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an eyeglass cleaning compact formed inaccordance with the present invention, a hinged lid on the liquidcontainer being shown in open position. t

2 is a front elevational view, taken from the left of Fig. l, the lidbeing closed, portions being broken away. Fig. 3 is a side elevationalView taken from the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the interiorof the tissue container.

Fig. 5 is a top plan View. t

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear perspective view showingasecond form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front perspective view of saidsecond form in which the containers have been swung to an open position.y

Fig. 8 is a View similar to `Fig. 6, showing a third form oi theinvention. Y

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of said third form.

Fig. l() is a sectionaltview on line lil-itl of Fig. 9.

ln the form of the invention shown in Figs. l-S, the compact has beengenerally designated by the reference numeral l2, and includes flat,rectangular, upstanding containers 14, 16 for liquid and tissues,`respectively, iixedly connected with their inner sidewalls contacting inface to face relation. The liquid cleanercontainer 1d is slightlyreduced in heightrelative to the container le for polishing tissues, andin the downwardly offset upper end wall `of said container i4, there isformed a lilier opening in which is removably engaged a ller cap i8. Anysuitable liquid cleaner, such as water or one of the conventionalcleaning compounds used for glass, may be deposited within the container14 through the iiller opening, it being understood that thetiller capwould preferably be knurled or otherwise exteriorly roughened tofacilitate grasping of the same by a user, said cap further havingthreads engaging complementary threads provided in the opening of theliquid container.

Adjacent the filler opening, there is provided a dispensing nozzleassembly includinga depressible'button or lip 2i? and a laterallyprojectednozzle 2,2. These would be a part of a conventional, downwardlyshiftable plunger means of an atomizer device, of the type includinginner and outer tubesand a ball on the end of the inner tube adapted tocreate a suctionresponsive to depression of the button or lip 20. `Theparticular atomizer or spray device can be varied, ofcourse, so long asa spray or jet is caused to issue from the nozzle ,onldepression of thebutton. Since any of various dispensing means can be employed `inassociation withthe liquid container, it is not thought necessary tospecifically illustrate and describe one such means herein.

A dependingly and peripherally flanged lid 24 is hingedly connected asat 26 to the upperend wall of the container 14, to swing about an axisextending transversely of said container between opposite extremepositions in one of which (see Fig, 2),Vit protectively overlies andconcealsthe JFiller cap and dispensing means, and in the other of which(Fig. l), it" exposesthese parts for use. In its closed position, thelid is flush with the top wall of the tissues container, to provideafhighly attractive, symmetrical article that can conveniently becarried in the pocket or in a purse. q

A detent orwlatch means 28 is provided ,on the free end of the lid,cooperating with a .complementary detent means on `the container i4, forreleasably engaging the lid in itsclosed position. y i That side ofthecontainer 16 remote from `its fixed connection to the container14 isformed open, and isy provided with a closure 30 hinged to the body ofcontainer 16. Closure 30 is releasably locked in closed position by adetent 32, and is connected to the body of container v16 by. avpiano.hinge .34 extending ynormallyto the hinge of the lid 24. This permitsthe Vlid .Z4-,wand the closure iitlto be opened or yclosed independentlyof one another, during usezof .the device..

Within the container 16, there is provided a means for releasablyengaging a plurality of superposed, disposable, polishing tissues. Saidmeans has been shownto particular advantage inFig. 4, and comprises, inthe illustrated example of 'the invention, a pair'of confronting,springv biased leaves or ngers. More than one pair of fingers can -beused, of course, and `conversely,'only onenger or leaf might be employedin a commercial embodiment ofthe invention.

Each finger or leaf n-assemblyincludes a pair of coaxial, spaced hingebrackets 36 afxed to the inner sur face of the front or rear'wall, asthe case may be, of the container-16. A hinge pin 38 has its endsengaged in the brackets 36, and swingably-mounted on the pin is a flatfinger or leaf 40 of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material.Leaf 40 is preferably triangular and has a base on which are integrallyformed, at spaced locations upon the base, hinge sleeves 42 abuttingagainst the respective brackets in the space between the brackets. Thehinge pin extends through the sleeves to swingably mount the hold-downfinger 40, and coiled about the mid length portion of t-he pin, in thespace between the sleeves 42, is a spring 44 one end 46 of which engagesagainst the finger, and the other end 48vof which engages against theadjacent Wall of the container 16. The spring is so tensioned as toexert pressure against the hold-down fngertending tobias the same in thedirection of the inner side wall of the container 16. As a result, theholddown fingers 40 cooperate with the inner side wall of the container16 in confining a stack of superposed, rectangular, disposable tissues50 within the container 16. The arrangement will, of course, permit theoutermost tissue to be readily grasped and removed, without disturbingthe remaining tissues.

`In Figs..6 and 7, there is shown a second form of the invention, inwhich the compact 52 includes hingedly connected liquid and tissuecontainers 54, 56, respectively. ln'this form of the invention, theclosure 30 is eliminated, since the liquid container serves in itsstead, in a manner to be made presently apparent.

The container 54 is provided, at its-upper end, with a lid 58 hinged tothe containerbody at 60, and otherwise formed and arranged like the lid24 of the first form. It will be understood that said lid 58 will serveto protectively enclose a filler cap and a dispensing means, also formedand arranged like the corresponding components illustrated in Fig. 1at18, 320 and 22.

The container 56 is formed open at the inner side thereof, and along oneedge of said inner side is connected by a piano .hinge 62 to the.adjacent edge of the container 54. The arrangement produces thedesirable result of utilization of the container 54 as the closure4 forthe tissue container. A detent means 63 on'the `container 56 cooperateswith a complementary detent means on the container 54 in releasablylengaging the containers intheir inwardly swung position, When thedeviceis not in use.

A hold-down means such as that previously shown and ing 72 formed in theupper end of the liquid container. The lid has been designated by thereference numeral 74, and is formed as a flat plate projecting laterallyfrom and constituting an extension of the upper end wall of the tissuecontainer. Plate '74, when the containers are swung apart as in Fig. 9,exposes the opening 72 for disposition of the lens L of Ya pair ofeyeglasses immediately thereabove, in the manner shown in Fig. 10.

Formed `,in the .inner side wallof the liquid container, so as to beeectively concealed when the containers are swung to closed position, isa vertically extending slot 76 in which is positioned `the shank `of amanually shifta-ble button 7S. The shank is rigid wit-h the button andhas been designated by the reference vnumeral 80, said shank extendinginwardly to the body of a dispensing assembly of the atomizer type,including an upwardly extending dispensing nozzle 82 and a plunger 84extending through anl openingformed in aitransverse partition 86provided in the liquid container. Partition 86 is disposed adjacent theupper `end vwall'of the liquid container, and divides the-container intola liquid compartment and a dispensing nozzle compartment.

In use of theform of the invention shown in Figs. 8-10, one would'irstswing the containers apart. This exposes the apertured lensseat attheupper end of the dispensing nozzle compartment, simultaneously withexposure of the buttons 78 ,to permit shifting thereof toward the lowerendof the slot. -With thelens Lpositioned as shown in Fig. -l0, the1shiftingsoffthe button will cause a spray or jet of :cleaning liquid tobe directed against the lens through the opening 72. Thereafter, atissue can be removed from the exposed interior of the tissuecompartment .totperrnit polishing of the eyeglasses.

The .entire device can, as will be appreciated, be made of any ofvarious materials, such .as metal, plastic, or glass, and can be made ina small size so asto-occupy no more space than is ordinarily required bya cigarette case in ones .pocket or purse.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments .of myinvention, it is to be understoodthat I do 'not limit myself totheprecise constructionsherein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having `thusdescribed myinvention, what I claim as new, 'an'drdesire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

l. An eyeglass Acleaning compact comprising a vrectangular-'shapedcontainer with `cleaning tissues therein having'top, bottom, front andrear walls and one side wall and being open at the other side, mechanismin said container for releasably holding cleaning 'tissues therein, acontainerof similar shape for holding cleaning liquid hingedly connectedto said tissue holding container along one long edge thereof, saidliquid container having top, bottom, front, rear and side walls, theside wallfadjacent the tissue container serving as a closurefor the openside A'of said tissue container when Vthe containers are juxtaposed, thetop wall of saidliquid container'having'an opening therein forAremovablyreceiving an eyeglass lens to be cleaned seated on saidtop'wall, means in saidliquid container for spraying liquid through saidopening onto the lens seated thereover, and an integral laterallyvextending plate-on the top wall of thetissue containerladapted tooverlie the top wall of the liquid container when ythe containers are injuxtaposed relation.

2. An eyeglass cleaning compact comprising a rectangular-,shapedcontainer with cleaning tissues therein having top, bottom, front andrear walls and one side wall being open at the ,other side, mechanism insaidcontainer .forreleasably holding cleaning tissues therein, acontainer of .similarshapeforsholding cleaning liquidhingedly-.connected .to said .tissue holding container along one `-longr edge thereof, said liquid f container l:having ztop,

bottom, front, rear and side walls, the side wall adjacent the tissuecontainer serving as a closure for the open side of said tissuecontainer when the containers are juxtaposed, the top Wall of saidliquid container having an opening therein for removably receiving aneyeglass lens to be cleaned seated on said top wall, and means in saidliquid container for spraying liquid through said opening onto the lensseated thereover, the mechanism for releasably holding cleaning tissuescomprising opposed spring-pressed hinged plates secured to the front andrear walls of the tissue holding container, said liquid spraying meansincluding a compressible bulbous body with a spray nozzle directedtoward said opening and a slidable button-actuated device forcompressing said bulbous body.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

